Confectionery-coating machine.



H. W. & E. G. BECHT.

NFEGTIONERY COATING MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

.fnyszzfars. ydumm 79.12% 5M QM @Qfi i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN W. EEC/HT, OF DAYTON, AND EDWARD C. BECHT, F NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

CONFECTIONERY-COATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed January 13, 1913. Serial No. 741,611.

T "aZZ whom it may concern:

die it known that we, HERMAX \V. BECHT and EDWARD C. BEcnT, the first residing at Dayton and the other at Newport, both in Campbell county, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ConfectioneryCoating Machines; and we do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, attention being called to the drawing which accompanies this application and thickin forms a part thereof.

This invention concerns improvements in machines for coating confectionery, the 1mprovements concerning more particularly a device for moving the objects to be coated in position for this purpose and to carry them away again after having been coated, affording meanwhile possibility for the surplus of the coating substance to drain freely away.

The invention consists of the construction of the device as hereinafter described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, shows our device in longitud1- nal section. Figs. 2, 3/and elfjin similar views show the same in various positions which it successively. assumes during operation. Fig. 5, is part of a top-view of the device and Fig. (l, is a transverse section of it taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The device consists substantially of spaced, parallel bars having straight upper edges arranged in two sets, each of which constitutes a grate.

k -A, designate the bars of one of these grates, they being connected at their op- .positc ends to a frame a, which occllpies a stationary substantially horizontal position.

B B designate the bars of the otbengrate which is supported so as to be capable of an operative movement with respect to the first grate, this movement being in a manner that,

the bars of the movable grate occupy alternately positions above and below; the bars of the stationary grate, they passing up and down between them. The bars of each. set are so closely spaced, that any two adjoining bars of either set are capable of supporting between them centers to be coated.

- The movement of these closely spaced bars is rendered possible by making the thickness, or size vex tically considered, of the movable rate bars greatly. in ,excess of the the ha rs of tlpe stationary grate and by supporting them aceord.ingly. F or I away.

such purpose they are mounted, each near each of its ends, uponrods 8 and 9, arranged parallel to each other, the connection of these rods to the bars being so as to permit them to turn freely at the points of their engagement with the bars. These rods are carried by the free ends of parallel crank-arms, rod 8 being carried between arms 1111, and rod 9 being carried by arms l212. Each of these arms is provided with a journal, 1313 being the journals of arms 11, and 14-14 being those of arms 12. Each set of these journals is supported in axially alined, opposite bearings, properly positioned below the stationary grate and provided in a suitable frame.

It will now be' seen that if rods 8 and 9 are rotated in unison about their journals, bars B will be moved with respect to bars A in the manner indicated by the arrows. This rotation may be by suitable power applied to one of the journals of one of the rods from which it is transmitted to one of the journals of the other rod by means of a chain 15 in engagement with chainwvheels 16-46, one mounted upon one journal of each rod. 1

17 is a belt shown in Fig. 1, which supplies the objects to be coated, which for instance may be chocolate-centers G. This belt is substantially as wide' as the grates and supplies the centers upon them, as best shown in Fig. 1. They are picked up as shown in Fig. 2, carried forward as shown in Fig. 3, and deposited in an advanced positionvupon the bars of the stationary grate as shown in Fig. 4. During the succeeding rotation they are picked up again and carried forward as before, which action is repeated, the centers being advanced step by step until they are finally shoved off. They may discharge upon a suitable off:

bear device which may be anotlier belt 18 as shown in Fig. 1, whereby they are carried \Vlnle thus passing forward they are coated with a substance which discharges at I 19, which is the outlet from a supply tank 20. T he step by step advance of the centers over the grates affords ample time for surplus coating material to drain away, thus giving the centers an even covering. surplus drips into a tank 21 and preserves it against waste. Other conditions admitting it, this matter may be re-used at any time, or immediately by being raised up to tank 20. Theunder side of the centers be comes coated by contact with the upper The edges of the bars which necessarily are "meted with coating material which disfrom the tank and drops between of: a the cente s and also with such material which drains upon said bars from the coated centers they are being advanced. Inasmuch the centers rest upon these material-covered edges and are also constantly changing positions therwn while being carried forward, material is picked up by them with every change of their positions. Material thus taken up is not disturbed and readily adheres since no movement takes place between any center and the particular portion of the bar upon which it rests.

Arms l2-l2, which support rod 9 are not as long as arms 11, and this rod engages bars B in slots 22. The result is that toward the disc large end of the grates, bars 2o 3 are not raised high but receive a forward sliding movementwhich favors the passing oii of tie coated centers from the grates u pen belt 7 at their u; r edges shown at b, the serratio hmic being so closely spaced that pport l r the centers said bars still ubstantiall aight edges, so that pro e-nted from toppling ng on the bars which 1 the adherence of coatunderside. our invention, we claim a. confectionery coating machine, tank ad pted to discharge i upon centers to be coated below the same, the i r of parallel bars potwecn ti two tanks, the bars of cod so closely that any ither are adapted ,;.:cen them, the upper rm iding straight sup ports for s on et of these bars being supported tantia horizontal in a stationary po ,tion, two rods supported ransverscly bet w the stationary bars and upon which bars of the other set are mounted at each of their ends, the engagement being uch as to permit rotation of these rods with respectto these bars which they support, an arm at each end of each of these rods whereby they are carried, a journal on each arm, a bearing for each journal and means to actuate these rods in unison with rotary movement about the journals of the arms which carry said rods and whereby the bars mounted upon these rods are alternately: raised and lowered, the thickness of these bars, vertically considcred, being such that when raised they are above the stationary bars.

sit oncd Joe esc sets being two adjoining b; to support ccntc edges of the hars p Bars B may be serrated horizontal in a stationary position, two rods supported transversely below the stationary bars and supporting the bars of the other set at their ends, the engagement of one rod being in closely fitting openings in said bars and the engagement of the other rod being in longitudinally arranged slots, arms of equal length supporting the rod first mentioned, shorter arms also of equal length supporting the other rod, a journal on each arm, a bearing for each journal and means to rotate these rods in unison about the journals of their supporting arms.

3. In a confectionery coating machine, comprising a tank adapted to discharge coating material upon centers to be coated and a drainage tank below the same, a set of parallel bars positioned between two tanks and spaced so that any two adjoining bars are adapted to support, centers to be coated, a conveyor for moving choco-' of these bars 31nd so as to be substantially in alinement with the upper edges of. these bars, means to actuate these conveyors so that both move in the same direction, an other set of parallel bars also spaced so that any two of them, adjoining, are adapted to support centers to be coated and means to actuate the bars of this set so that they alternately rise above the upper edges of the stationary bars and also 'move alternately between the ends of the-conveyors, this latter movement being so that above the stationary bars it is'ina direction substantiall like that imwlii'fih the conveyors move so t at centers moved upon the stationary bars b oneconveyer are picked up by these the presence of two wit- HERMAN w. BECHT. EDWARD o. BECHT.

Witnesses.

C. Symon, T. Lu BEAU;

these 1 whereof we hereunto ZlfHXR late centers supported at each end of the bet 

